Commuters face a difficult journey home tonight with many London Underground services cancelled because of the strike

This is the end of our live blog covering the second day of London's Tube strike.

The industrial action in protest at the closure of TfL ticket offices at the cost of hundreds of jobs has once again brought the captial's transport system to a virtual standstill.

Many commuters faced huge delays on trains and buses as the remaining travel options were congested.

The 48-hour strike is due to finish at 9pm tonight.

With another strike looming next week, the conciliation service Acas said the parties had agreed to continue "exploratory talks" tomorrow.

1:46 pm

Mayor Boris Johnson has thanked londoners for their patience during the Tube strike.

He said: "I understand how frustrating this has been for many Londoners and I'd like to thank them for their patience and stoicism during this completely unnecessary strike. I am grateful to the London Underground staff who rejected this pointless action and worked, and to the hundreds of volunteers who are helping passengers through the day.

"This morning, despite the efforts of a small unionised minority, we are running services on nine out of 11 Tube lines, and nine out of 10 regular Oyster customers travelled this morning on the Tube, trains, the DLR, the Overground, buses and bikes.

"I'm pleased that having failed repeatedly to engage in constructive talks around TfL's modernisation plans the unions have agreed to sit down with TfL at Acas.

"Rather than hurting hard-working Londoners and hard-pressed small businesses they should have been talking to TfL this week. That the unions won't negotiate until after the strike is over tomorrow says a lot about their failure to engage.

"If as they claimed yesterday Mr Crow and Mr Cortes are happy to embrace modernisation, new technology and change, then what on earth are they doing on strike when these changes do just that and involve no compulsory redundancies? They need to call off their strike and talk, not tomorrow, not tonight - right now."

12:36 pm

With another 48-hour strike looming next week, the conciliation service Acas said the parties had agreed to continue "exploratory talks" tomorrow.

But Mr McLoughlin said the decision by Mr Crow to go on a luxury holiday just before this week's strike took place made it very difficult for talks to take place earlier.

His comments came as Labour MP Diane Abbott (Hackney North and Stoke Newington) said the Government should make Mr Johnson negotiate.

In a question to the minister, she said: "The spend on transport in London reflects the importance to London. Even as we speak, millions of Londoners are struggling to get to work because of this dispute.

"We know the majority of Londoners don't want every single ticket office closed down. What are you doing to make the mayor of London actually negotiate with the RMT?"

12:33 pm

Union leader Bob Crow should be renamed "Rio Bob" after he decided to go on holiday to Brazil the week before the Tube strike, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said today.

Mr McLoughlin said Mr Crow's decision to go on holiday to Rio de Janeiro made it very difficult for talks to take place between his union, the RMT, and the mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

Commuters faced more travel misery because of a continuing strike by London Underground workers even though fresh talks have been agreed.

Members of the RMT and TSSA unions will end their 48-hour walkout at 9pm tonight and officials will meet LU tomorrow to try to resolve a row over the closure of Tube ticket offices.

The unions have been urging London mayor Boris Johnson to meet them to discuss the closures, which will see the loss of 950 jobs. The mayor refused to meet the unions unless they called off the industrial action.

11:09 am

Looking pretty congested on some of London's roads due to the extra traffic today.

Here's the A40 Perivale to Hanger Lane Tunnel and Paddington to Marylebone.